The Policy Pulse

Public Comment on the U.S. Department of Education’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of April 20, 2026: Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-Driven Workforce Pell: Student Tuition and Transparency System and Earnings Accountability

In February 2026, NDSC sent a letter to SSA signed by 3 national Down syndrome organizations and 39 state/local Down syndrome organizations representing 24 different states. This was a very powerful demonstration of unity by the Down syndrome community, and it proved successful.

The Administration is once again asking Congress to eliminate key special education and disability programs as part of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget request. After hearing from thousands of individuals with disabilities, family members, and professionals during the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process, Congress soundly rejected these proposals on a bipartisan basis. The National Down Syndrome Congress calls on Congress to continue to protect funding for critically important programs that support and protect people with disabilities – from young children through adults.

National Down Syndrome Congress wrote urging Congress to hold oversight hearings, require the Administration to reverse these transfers, and pass legislation prohibiting the use of interagency agreements to relocate Department of Education programs without congressional authorization. Programs administered through OSERS serve millions of Americans with disabilities and must not be dismantled through administrative action.

National Down Syndrome Congress wrote to the Director and Associate Director at the Office of Budget and Management to express strong opposition to the interagency agreements (IAAs) that have transferred U.S. Department of Education (ED) programs to other agencies. NDSC is especially concerned about and opposed to transferring the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) that includes the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).

This week Congress passed and the President signed an appropriations package that funds a number of federal agencies through Fiscal Year 2026, including the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.

The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) exists to educate, advocate, empower, and inspire on behalf of people with Down syndrome and the families and communities who support them.

States are suing the federal government in Texas v. Kennedy (formerly Texas v. Becerra). If successful, the lawsuit would threaten the rights of millions of people with disabilities to live and participate in their communities.

The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) has heard about recent incidents in which people with Down syndrome were treated harshly and in an undignified way during interactions with law enforcement.

The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) has heard about recent incidents in which people with Down syndrome were treated harshly and in an undignified way during interactions with law enforcement. These situations are deeply concerning and underscore the urgent need for disability-informed training, policies, and practices nationwide. People with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have the right to be treated with dignity and respect and to be safe in their communities. Communication differences, anxiety, sensory sensitivities, or slower processing time must never be mistaken for noncompliance or escalation.